Indigenous Peoples from all over the world suffer disproportionate impacts from mercury contamination. Mercury is a neurotoxin that bioaccumulates in fish and negatively affects the mental and physical development of babies and children. These effects continue on to adulthood and impact all Indigenous life-ways and livelihoods. Fish are not only important for our subsistence and health but also for our social, cultural and spiritual well-being. This is true for California Tribes.

In 2009, the United Nations Environment Programme governing council agreed to negotiate a legally binding instrument to regulate mercury, with a targeted completion date in 2013. 

CIEA has actively taken part as an NGO observer in the treaty negotiations, making interventions on issues of concern to the Global Indigenous Peoples Caucus and meeting with country delegates to advocate for Indigenous Peoples.

2) The inclusion of “Indigenous Peoples” in the operative text of the treaty. This will enable our Peoples to take part in the implementation, the decision-making and in the treaty’s evaluation at every level by allowing for the establishment of a working group on Indigenous Peoples during the Conference of the Parties. Existing multilateral environmental agreements do not include provisions for Indigenous People’s participation in the treaty implementation or in the development of resulting programs. This would support our cultural rights and place this treaty under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

3) Provisions to support cleanup projects and pilots in areas impacted by Legacy Mining with the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the design and implementation of these efforts. Since 2003, CIEA staff has focused on reducing mercury to levels low enough to support traditional subsistence fishing. However, our efforts to reach these goals get blocked by the global “background level” of mercury emitted from global sources. Meanwhile, in California, the mercury legacy has encouraged leading scientific advancements to seek less expensive and replicable cleanup strategies; a lack of state and federal funding limits these advancements.

For more information about how to take part in the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus or to support these efforts, please contact our office at (510) 848-2043, where we can provide you the information.